Rise of the Magi

by Jocelyn Adams

  I turned to the transporter, cringing internally. “I was kinda-sorta half joking about bringing them if they were butt-ass naked. Brígh, can you get the man some clothes?”

  Lisa, a waif of a girl with deep blue hair, cowered as I approached, gaze cast down.

  A stone thudded into the bottom of my gut. “Hold that thought, James.” I took a second to assemble the words in my head before I said something to the girl to make it worse. “Hey, you did exactly what I told you to. You did nothing wrong. Thank you …”

  “Lisa, Queen.”

  “Just Lila. It’s nice to meet you, Lisa. As you can see, you don’t need to look for Parthalan. Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?” I held my hand out to her.

  Her head snapped up, and her lips parted before she clamped them shut. She slowly slid her fingers into mine, sighing as my Light spread up her arm. “You aren’t like everyone says, are you?”

  My brow cocked up as I considered what the former Unseelie might have said about me. “The rumors that I’m a heartless, bloodthirsty tyrant are somewhat unfounded.” I said it with a smile, hoping to loosen her up a bit.

  “She’s more of a bossy nag,” Neve offered on her way down with the Dun Bray ladies behind her.

  “Pfft. You can just shut it, miss pink.” I turned back to find a tiny smile on Lisa’s face. “This is your home, no matter what anyone else says. Yeah, I speak for us, but I’m not much different than you. You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

  “You wanna tell me what’s going on?” James accepted the shirt Parthalan shed and handed to him. I lowered my gaze as he tied it around his waist, leaving his left hip bare. At least the important bits were covered.

  “Sorry to snatch you up this way, but we’ve got a major problem, and we’ve lost Gallagher, so I couldn’t contact you like I normally do.”

  James drew in a sharp breath. “By lost, you don’t mean—”

  “He’s not dead,” I blurted before clearing my throat of barbs. “At least, I don’t think he is. All of our men have been taken from all three fae cities, along with most of Parthalan’s people. Have you noticed anyone missing?”

  “We’re still herding the last stragglers from the outposts. Most are holed up in one of the taller buildings in Toronto, but throw a bunch of paranoid folks together like that, and I think you can guess how that’s going over. At least the witches sent by the covens are confident their wards will hold—at least until the Magi start attacking full-blast.” Hands on his hips, his head angled forward as if in exhaustion. “Bethany and I have been supervising patrols around the perimeter of the city to watch for any forest encroachment beyond the ward line. This morning one of the cars never reported in.”

  “Oh, no.” Neve closed her eyes.

  I steeled myself for more that didn’t come. “The suspense might just kill me … or you, if you keep us hanging any longer, James.”

  “Sorry, I … it just … never mind. I drove up the Don Valley Parkway after I got the call about the missing crew. Eight lane highway just ends. Trees grew right up through the pavement so thick I’d need a chainsaw just to walk through.”

  “You need to burn it.” Hand to my throat, I fought my gag reflex. “Your people are still alive. You have to burn it, or they’ll suffer like you can’t imagine.”

  “Christ, we tried. I was just showering to get the soot off and intended to get your telepath to contact Gallagher when your girl here snatched me out of the tub.”

  Confused, I squinted at him. “What do you mean tried? Douse it with gasoline and light it up.”

  A glaze of utter helplessness shined his eyes. “When we get within ten feet with flame of any kind, even flame throwers, the fire just goes out. We even tried dropping explosives from a plane, but it never goes off. Like there’s some kind of crazy force field that neutralizes fire on contact.”

  “A ward,” I said. “Dammit!”

  “But … what does that mean?”

  We are screwed, is what it means. “It means they’re getting smarter and craftier, two things we don’t need them to be right now. When they figure a way through your wards, you’ll all be entombed in trees—alive, and none of us will be able to help you.” I’d have bet a great deal that Alseides’ conduits of choice were the missing Black City fae. Or witches. I didn’t want to think about that possibility.

  James tossed a hand up—the other holding the shirt around his waist. “I don’t like the sound of that, Lila. You’re supposed to tell me how to stop these carnivorous trees from getting any closer to the city. You’re supposed to tell me how to stop any more folks from dying that way.”

  Frowning, I went to tell him off, but Richard blinked in beside us before I could get it out.

  21

  Richard stared at me, fully dressed to my relief, and completely at ease in the midst of the Court garden. “Mrs. Gray. Thank God.”

  That just sounded so wrong, considering technically it would be Mrs. Kane if we did the human merging of names thing. “Just Lila. And I’m relieved you’re glad to see me because quite frankly I expected you to wig out.”

  “I’ve been trying to get your telepath to contact you for hours.” His gaze roved around the Court, over the fae and Sluagh that had begun filling the daises at the top of the theatre seating. His eyes flared. “This isn’t the command center. How did I get here?”

  Took him long enough. “You’re in the fae city of Iress. In our Court. One of our teleporters brought you.”

  The brunette woman who’d done his snatch-and-grab glowered at me before strutting away.

  “Thank you,” I called, having almost forgotten. She flipped me the bird over her shoulder. I wouldn’t be winning her over any time soon.

  “What’s going on here?” Richard stared at James. “Why are you wet and wearing that?”

  James’ cheeks took on a little pink. “Lila’s trick took me right out of the shower.”

  Richard nodded as if that made perfect sense and turned to me. “What are you doing about the threat to our cities?”

  “Not you, too.” I palmed my eyes, wishing I could shut them for a while.

  “Tell us,” Neve said. She’d plastered on her serious face—stern eyes, a hard set to her mouth. It was a face Andrew was famous for and not even I would mess with.

  “We moved everyone who was willing to New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Our command center is in New York, and we lost communication with the other two sites this morning. I sent out a team via car to Chicago with an update, but they didn’t make it out of the state because we’re now walled in with the Fort Knox of forests.”

  “Stupid fucking Magi,” I growled as Brígh descended the main aisle with a bundle of clothes in her arms. The Mountie pulled on a pair of pants Brígh handed to him, as I explained the purpose of our gathering to Richard, shocked when the Fed nodded and sat beside James on the lowermost dais.

  Grenick appeared in front of them. His screams blasted across the already rising din of voices. His transporter, a thick brute of a woman, collapsed face first at my feet. Open gashes crisscrossed her body from toes to forehead.

  “Serena!” Lisa shouted and fell beside her, taking her hand.

  “We were on our way,” Grenick cried. “They’ve turned our home against us! This is your doing!” His little elf finger jabbed at me.

  Ice coated my veins as I knelt on the other side of Serena to check her wounds while asking him, “Where are your people now? How many were taken?”

  Panting, he tilted his head forward, the rage dissipating from his posture to leave a broken man … elf. “This woman saved us. She brought us all to your city in bunches, saving me for last at my command. We almost didn’t make it out, but she held onto consciousness just long enough. She should be commended.”

  “Help me,” I s
aid to Lisa, who assisted in turning the large woman over and tugging her back against my chest.

  “I’m trained in first aid.” Richard rose from his seat. “Do you have any medical supplies?”

  “Thanks, but no need. Watch how the fae heal.” I brought my Light to the surface, letting it settle in my hands like twin mini-suns. Pressing one palm to her forehead and the other to her chest, I searched her body with my inner sight.

  She woke up wailing. Aided by a grunt, I forced my energy into her, absorbing her pain, which seared through me. I stole her fear into myself while willing her flesh to grow back together. When only pink lines remained of her wounds, I released her, gasping for air. Dark pools of terror began to dissipate in my mind, like fog urged out by a summer wind.

  When she didn’t move away, I crawled around to see her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she smiled. One of peace and some sort of profound joy I didn’t understand. Was she high?

  “You okay?” I asked between heaving breaths. Dizziness kept me from standing to address the dropped jaws of our human guests. Zings of her pain continued to careen around my innards.

  “Now, I understand.” Serena leaned against Lisa, who threw her arms around the other woman.

  Feeling like an invader on a private moment, I took Brígh’s hand when she offered it and got back to a wobbly stance on my feet. “What does she understand?” I whispered to her.

  “Who you are, and why she was an idiot to doubt you. Duh.”

  Really? “Okay, but why? Because I healed her?”

  Brígh gave me her you’re-a-dumbass face. “Because you cared enough to take away her pain and that you had the ability to do that at all. Not even your mother could do that, and most wouldn’t have the courage to feel something like that in place of someone else. That is what you did, didn’t you? Like you and Liam have done for a crap ton of us lately?”

  “I … oh, never mind.” Needing about a year to process that, I shrugged it off and went to Richard. “You’re looking a little pale. Are you going to make it through this?”

  His dark eyes never left Serena while he said, “You’re a walking miracle. Can all fae do that? Can you heal anything? Cancer? Alzheimer’s? Mental illness? What you could do for our hospitals, our citizens. How did you do that?”

  Another of the transporters arrived before I could think of an answer. The redhead hugged herself. Wetness lined her long lashes.

  “Shit.” Since everyone else had arrived, other than the witches, and they weren’t coming by transport, I didn’t need to know any more. “The trolls are gone.”

  “I tried, but …” Tremors shook her and rattled her teeth.

  I knew that lost look, having seen it on my own face for years every time I looked in the mirror after I’d failed trying to save someone. “It’s not your fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

  A quick nod and she fled into the growing crowd. I shouldn’t have been surprised she didn’t believe me. I wouldn’t have, either. Once. Had she fled out of fear without jumping into the fray at all? If she had, she probably saved herself from being tortured, too. No time to convince her, though. Psychological healing would have to wait until after we’d earned our right to live.

  I stood on the dais in the center of the Court as the last few fae, the selkies and Sluagh took their seats, and Laerni finally showed up with a train of women holding platters behind her. All empty save one that held a giant glass bowl—also empty. Their bearers didn’t seem to notice anything amiss judging by their proud grins. Laerni hadn’t seemed to be that out of sorts to miss that she’d forgotten to put any food there. Why so many? Did she intend to serve the entire Court invisible snacks?

  I took a few cleansing breaths as the elf arranged all of the trays to my left on grass platforms that erupted out of the ground like a series of buffet tables. When the tray bearers grabbed seats, I looked over the Court. I’d never seen everyone so silent, so riveted to what I was about to say. No pressure or anything. To calm myself, I set my Light free to burn along my skin. It spiraled through my veins, to core out the bad stuff and leave room for something new. The current of energy teased my hair up into a dance around my head.

  Both Richard and James shot forward on their benches, blinking big eyes at me. They’d seen me without glamour, but they’d never seen me in my full fae glory.

  “You all know why we’re here,” I began in a voice that sounded like the memory of my mother’s—clear and resonant, multiple voices speaking as one, from a deep tenor to soprano. “We may have our differences, our own creeds and religions”—I directed my gaze to Richard, who closed his mouth long enough to offer a respectful nod—“our own way of dealing with the bad stuff life throws at us.” My power built, swirling around me as Iress pulsed within my flesh, lifting me from the dais. “The Magi may think they’ve broken us by taking half of our numbers, those we love, what and who make us whole, but I think they’re wrong. Because, despite those differences between us—some of them monumental—the Magi have only succeeded in uniting us in our grief.” Memories of Liam’s last kiss burned on my lips as a tear trickled down my face, dropping onto my hand as I reached up to swipe it away. Not water, but a golden drop that shone like sunlight. Murmurs grew in the crowd. “They can make us cry, sure. They can make us stomp and scream and shout about how unfair it all is, absolutely. But they don’t know us very well. They think we’ll fall down and give them what they want, that we’re weak and helpless in our feuding and rage. But we all now have a single purpose, a common purpose, to shut those bitches down and get our people back. Do you agree?”

  A raucous battle cry roared. Their spirits slammed into me, filling me even more. I opened myself wide to them, sharing my own sorrow and battle-lust. I could sense their troubled minds, their sadness, the fire burning in their hearts. It didn’t matter the race. Hurt us where we loved and we all became warriors who would rush into war crying murder and paint the fields with blood.

  Fists jabbed into the air as they all continued to roar. Brígh pounded on her chest like a rowdy gorilla, making me snicker a little as she worked to rile up those around her.

  As the noise quieted, I held my hand up, and Meline burst through the gate above me with one of the guards Neve had on the portal. I hoped Meline had brought every last witch she could find. I had a feeling we’d need them all.

  She waved and gave a tight smile. I nodded.

  Directing my attention back to everyone else, I said, “I have a man who was in the Magi’s realm. He thinks he can lead us there, along with our new friends, the Coven of Toronto and whoever else we’ve been able to convince to help. I hope we can bring down whatever magical force is preventing us from finding these dryads and get our men.”

  “What are we waiting for?” Raven shouted from halfway up the hill. “Let’s go now!”

  After waiting for the subsequent shouts of agreement to die—I wouldn’t dare force my will on them in that moment and kill the momentum I seemed to be gaining—I said, “If I thought a brute force attack would work, I’d be with you. But they’re smarter than that. They manipulated us with the Shadowborn. They manipulated us into taking Nix, who unleashed a spell within our wards so they could take our men. It’s very possible that they want us to go in force like angry bulls, against their giant forests now protected by wards. If Nix, my former captain, taught me one thing in our training together, it’s that we can’t attack in anger because it makes us stupid. We have to think this through, come up with a small, skilled team and have a plan for every possible outcome we can think of.” I explained what Laerni had told me about Alseides and her ability to render a mind into something she could mold for her purpose. “This isn’t going to be a physical fight, not with her, anyway.”

  “But they could be … what if …” Raven dropped her gaze. “Our guys may not have time for us to do that.”

&nb
sp; I nodded, feeling the same agony in my own heart, though my gut told me our men were still alive. “I know that. You all know me, and should get how agonizing it is for me to rein in my fury about this, to not stomp out there and lay a beat down on the first thing that moves. But what good does that do us if we all get slaughtered and our loved ones are lost, anyway? I have to consider that they want me for something. Something terrible. Something that could mean the end of everything for everyone, and with Alseides’ mind tricks, she could very well manipulate me into doing it. The choices we make right now will decide whether we live or die. Finesse is needed, and Goddess knows it’s not my strong suit. I need you to help me with the brains of this operation while I provide at least some of the firepower.”

  “Who gets to go, then?” Willa asked from where she’d settled behind Raven. “The selkies offer strength even greater than the fae. Yeh know we’re not squeamish about riskin’ ourselves for what’s right. Our men could be hurt. We need strength to carry ‘em home.”

  More throughout the crowd echoed her question of who should go with me, offering their skills and suggestions.

  I held my hands up to quiet them again. “Nix and I have to go after the Magi. Him to lead us there, and me because it’s me they want. The covens need to send enough of their numbers to pull off a little idea I have brewing, which will include the transporters from the Black City. Parthalan”—I focused on him, where he sat between James and Richard, who kept eying the Host Lord—“I need you to stay with me to act as a command hub to the rest of the Host in place of our telepaths.”

  He nodded, eyes as aglow and eager as I’d ever seen them. At least, since he’d stopped being the Glass Man and had become my friend. My friend. Parthalan. Too weird.

  “My gift is fire,” Raven said. “There are four others, and more with gifts of lightning like Rourke had. We should be with you.”

  “Good, I agree.”

  She froze, her mouth guppying as if she’d been readying for me to shut her down. “Thank you.”